Improved washing-machine



UNiTnn STATES PATENT Urraca.

OBEN BALDWIN, OF SUMMITVILLE, IOVA.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,.;26, dated May 24, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OREN BALDWIN, of Summitville, county of Lee, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Washing- Machine; and I do hereby declare that the f'ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingapart of this speciiication, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal section taken in a vertical plane through the center of my machine. Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine with the two end covers removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the course indicated by blue line x x in Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention and improvement relates to that class of washing machines wherein an alternate reciprocating dasher is employed for the purpose of rolling the articles and heating or squeezing the dirt out of them.

The invention consists in certain improvements in constructing, arranging, and operatingareciprocating dasher, whereby many additional advantages are obtained, which will be seen from the following description.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation? A represents an oblong rectangular box, having a iiat horizontal bottom, and provided with covers a a a, two of which are hinged, while the intermediateone, a, is affixed to the top ofthe box or tub by means of screws, or in any other convenient manner. Iithin this box A, and atits ends, are twoinclined stepped surfaces or wash-boards, B B', which are clearly shown in Fig. 1. These wash-boards are stepped or serrated on their exposed surfaces, and they may be perforated or otherwise constructed in any suitable manner. They extend up about two-thirds the height of the box A,and their upper ends are secured to horizontal transverse boards b b, which may be used as shelves, if desired. Between these two overh an gin g wash-boards works the dasher (l, the inclined ends or stepped surfaces c c of which are parallelto their respective surfaces B B', as shown in Fig. l, and the sides of this dasher are perpendicular to the base or bottom of the box A, as shown in Fig. 3. This reciprocating dasher may be constructed hollow, or in such manner as to receive within it the two rollers or wheels d d, upon which it is supported.

A very small space is left between the bottom of the dasher and the surface upon which it rests for the purpose of preventing the articles being washed from working underneath of the dasher, and also for the purpose ofmaking the latter effective at and near the bottom of the box A.

The rollershaft d is located at an intermediate point between the center of the dasher, the center being the proper position for it; and in order to keep the bottom of the dasher parallel to the bottom of the wash-box at all times, I employtwo strips, g g, which are supported at their ends by the shelves b b, and held down in their places by means of buttons g g. rIhcse two longitudinal strips are arranged in planes parallel to the bottom of the wash-box, and also to the top of the dasher, over which they are held; henceit will be seen that the dasher must move in a rectilinear or horizontal plane from end to end of the Washbox, the two guides g g preventing it from rocking on its rollers, which would cause its ends to rub upon the bottom of box A.

Hinged to the top of the dasher C, at one end thereof, is a forked arm, z, and between the forks of this arm the lower end of a lever, D, is pivoted, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The lever D passes up through an oblong opening, which is made through the central iixed portion, a', of the cover ofthe wash-box, and to this portion c this lever is pivoted by means of an eyebolt, i, which passes transversely through the staples s s on top of cover a', as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

By rocking the upper end or handle of lever D, the dasher can be moved in a right line from end to-end of the wash-box with very little expenditure of labor,or if deirable the dasher may be moved by giving a rectilinear reciprocating motion to the lever D-. e., by pushing and pulling the dasher back and forth. To use the lever D in this manner the pins i j are removed, and the lever thus detached from the machine. TheleverD is now adjusted in the position indica-ted in blue lines, Fig. l, and again pivoted to the short hinged arm h. The lever being kept in the notch 7c, which is cut in the upper edge of the Wash-box, the dasher is moved by pushing and pulling the lever back and forth.

In the practical operation of my machine it will be found that there is very little friction occasioned by moving the dasher back and forth on its rollers b y means of the vibrating lever D, as its bottom surface will always be kept free from the bottom of the Wash-box by the guides g g. When itis desired to remove the dasher from the machine for cleaning the box A, the guides q g are easily removed by turning up the buttons g g and the xed portion a of the cover is detached from the machine.

If thought advisable, two small rollers may be added to the dasher. One set being arranged at each end thereof will prevent any chance of friction at these points.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as ne\v,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The rubber or pounder C, made hollow, mounted ou rollers d d, and constructed with inclined Washing; or pounding surfaces c c, in combination With the inclined ends B B', and detachable guides g g, all in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

2,. vThe arrangement of the lever D, hinged arm h, dasher or pounder C d, and devices a le, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. rlhe combination of vibrating lever D, hinged arm h, flasher C, rollersd d, and guides g g, substantially as and for the purposes described.

OBEN BALDWIN. Witnesses:

J. T. WYRIGHT, JACOB REMOALD. 

